Praxi-centric phenomenology: From Nagarjuna through Dogen to Martin Heidegger

Buddhist practitioners in the Zen tradition have repeatedly located the tension between theory (theoria) and practice (praxis) when describing profound reality or the way things are/are becoming (yath abutam). The subjective stance is constantly challenged as not just a limiting but entirely mistaken perspective with which to approach reality/meaning. Although the Buddhist practitioners and teachers considered here propose teachings distinctive to each other, there is consistency in emphasising the necessity of practical experience expressed via sunyata and the ultimate realisation of egolessnessness or no-self (anatman/nairatmya). Nagarjuna's logical critique works to free the mind from conceptual foundationalism so that practice is effective and unfettered by delusion. Practitioners within the Yogacara school such as Asanga recognise the powerful effectiveness of meditation that highlights the tension between no-self and a perfected self necessary to the Bodhisattva-marga. Dogen explores the relationship between the cosmic reality of Buddha-nature and personal participation in seated meditation such that letting go of ego-self is the very manifestation of the Buddha-self I consider these Buddhist approaches to reality/meaning in relation to Western phenomenology, as especially borne out in Martin Heidegger's work to allow for an authentic attitude in and toward truth event (Ereignis). Ultimately, I argue that the Buddhist approach to reality embodies what I term a "praxi-centric phenomenology" that encourages Western phenomenological reflection to remain practical but egoless